The King of Fighters 2003: Hikawa
by GWT
Summary: The king of fighters, 2003. The latest of the KoF's. Of course, a NEW team, aside from the Heroes, is entering...one that NO ONE could expect... The Hikawa Team! [On Pause]
1. Forming of teh team

**The King of Fighters 2k3  
Chapter One:  
**_Forming of teh team_

The King of Fighters.

The worlds most elaborate, most well know, the most likely-to-have-something-to-do-with-the-end-of the-world tournament. The fighting competition of the highest standards, on the greatest scale in the world -

"The King of Fighters."

Here on this stage Rugal was defeated, the Orochi were contained and sealed away, and the mighty NEST cartel was taken down. Yeah, that's a lot of stuff to happen over the last nine years. Somehow, through, the media never learned of these epic, dangerous, and just plain weird events.

Even with such a history, the opening of this year's King of Fighters was decided to take place as usual. The sponsor, as usual, was as mysterious as ever. No name is ever given, and the public never asks questions. Still, veterans who know of the things that take place yearly continue to enter. Is it the thrill of the fight? Or do they want to know what evil bad guys will appear next?

So, of course, the various veterans were almost automatically accepted. But, this year, even they will be new to the rules. This year is different, with the announcement from this KOF tournament of the new "multi-shift" rule, allowing competitors to freely tag off during battles.

" With this new focus on teamwork, the fighters will have to work together...or be torn apart." Reads a newspaper.

"This will show the true strength of the teams, some of which show failing in terms of trust (such as any team Iori Yagami has belonged to)." Reads another.

"Of course, there is still an awesome bunch of fighters in the world. And quite a few are joining this years tournament," Reads a third. "Some names found on the online roster are;

The world famous martial artist, Gato.  
The mighty masked griffon, Tizoc.  
Shanghai's 'Battle God', Shen Woo.  
The mysterious Duo Lon of the Flying Brigand  
...And Ash Crimson, a mysterious fighter from France."

Would these contestants be able to become the new stars capable of shaking up the KOF tournament, like Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, and K' did?

There was only one way to find out.

December 2003. The day the tournament began.

The Time has come.

Now, the portal to a new punch fest opens...  
-

"Shin...that is the most corniest thing you have ever said. What do you plan to accomplish, writing that report for class?"

Shin Hikawa laughed. "I plan to get a good grade, of course." He slipped the paper into a binder with a grin. "I don't believe you did anything better."

"Dude...its December 1st. The sign ups are beginning. What, do you plan to follow the tournament until it's over?" James Bryant asked with a sarcastic tone. Shin laughed, leaning back in his seat. The two sat in the a coffee house in New York City, a smug grin on Shin's face as James continued to read the paper. He briefly scanned over the bio's of all the fighters, looking up at Shin every once and a while to see if he was still watching him. "So...what _are_ you planning, Shin? This paper isn't due till the end of the semester. You must be scheming something to show it to me now..."

"Maaaybe..." Shin laughed. "You'll only know if you keep reading."

"How did you get all this information anyway?" James asked. "I mean...how could you possibly know their exact measurements, their favorite foods..."

"I've been following the tournament since 1995, Bryant. I make it my business to find out everything that happens in the tourney through... well, I have connections." Shin smiled. James scoffed, still reading...until his eyes stopped on a single line.

"...What the _heck_ is _this!_" James' eyes widened. Looking up at Shin's smug grin, he looked back down at the paper, making sure he read this correctly. "'I will be conduction a study on the tournament first hand this year...for I will be entering with a team of my choosing!'" James looked up at Shin. "You _can't_ be serious."

"Dead serious." Shin smiled.

"But...but you've seen the fights! Those guys...they're not normal! I mean, it's even in this report! This guy uses _flames_!"

"I know."

"This guy's a _psycho_! I mean...blood rages?"

"Yep."

"_SHE'S A PSYCHIC, J-POP IDOL!"_

"Uh-huh."

"Okay, then explain to me how you plan on doing this. I mean...you can fight, but these guys are pros..." James blinked. Shin grinned. "You must have something up your sleeves..."

"Just wait a little longer and I'll tell you." Shin leaned back in his seat. "Don't worry, this is all planned out. I know what I'm doing..."

"Jeez...if I believed you, I might have asked to go with you..." James flexed his muscular arms. Compared to his friend Shin, he was much more closer to the type of person you'd expect to enter the KOF. Where Shin, with his long black hair and big blue eyes, had the body of a runner or something with not much athletic use of muscles, James was built like a boxer, wrestler, and the kid who steals your lunch money all rolled into one.

"Well..." Shin began, running his hand through said black hair. Before he could speak, a girl walked past them with a note in her hand, scanning the coffee house. "Ah, here we are..."

"'Here we are?'" James looked up at the girl. It wasn't much to look up for, as she wasn't very tall. A single, long black and red ponytail, pinned with sticks of some sort, ran down the back of her hair, hanging only an inch or so off the ground. Her red bangs covered her golden brown eyes, which narrowed as she heard Shin speak. Turning, she looked the two over. "Shin Hikawa and James Bryant?"

"I am he." Shin smiled. "That's James." The girl took a seat next to them, crossing her left leg over her right. "Now that we're all here..."

"Wait. Who _is_ she?" James asked. The girl gave him a look, then focused her attention back on Shin.

"Lei Aiko, if I'm not mistaken." Shin smiled.

"Aiko Lei." She corrected.

"Huh?"

"Its customary to say the family name, then the given name in Japan." Lei explained, looking down at her nails. "So I prefer you say it correctly if you're going to call me by my whole name."

"…" The two stared at the girl in silence as she drew a bottle of purple nail polish. "Um…so _who _is she?"

"She's an exchange student from Japan. And, surprisingly enough, skilled in most combative martial arts and the use of acupuncture needles." Shin smiled. James looked to the girl, seeing the two needles in her hair. The girl noticed his gaze, drawing them out of her braid. The hair cascaded down as she set them on the table.

"Correct." She stretched. "Not lethal weapons, nor are _these_ painful, but they are quite effective." She stated. James blinked, then looked back at Shin.

"_Once again,"_ he said. "What is she _doing_ here?"

"Yes, about that," Shin smiled. "We're going to need her help. After all, the KOF is filled with expert fighters…"

"We?"

"You're entering too aren't you? On _my_ team?"

"I'm _what?_"

"You just said 'if I believed you, I might have asked to go with you,' did you not?" Shin asked. "And, as I have stated numerous times, I'm dead serious. I want to enter, if not for research but for the chance to compete."

"… Um…" James grabbed the stack of paper in front of him once again. "Did I mention the Psychic J-pop idol?"

"Yes. I believe you have."

"Is there some sort of problem here?" Lei asked. "I mean, if you said you would join, then there's nothing to talk about…"

"Who asked you? And besides, how the heck did you manage to get on Shin's team? I mean, you're new at school, aren't you?"

"Yes. But he contacted me." She explained. "I have my doubts as well as you do, but I'm here for the KOF and not his well being."

"I'm not here for his well being either! I mean, I hold my own in a fight. What can you two do?" He asked, pointing accusingly. His question was quickly answered; in a motion faster than he could see, the girl suddenly held his wallet, his cell phone, and his belt in her left hand. Reaching to pull up his now plummeting pants, he looked to Shin.

"And what about you? I mean, I've seen you box every once and a while, but nothing on King of Fighter's quality."

Shin, however, gave a mischievous grin as he peered out the window. "…You want to see what I can do? Follow me then." He smiled, standing up. Walking to the door, he left a puzzled James and a less than interested Lei. Following after, the boy stood before a large fountain, a statue of an angel cradling a baby in the center.

"So, yeah, what're you." James began, but Shin raised a hand to silence him. With a loud shout, he punched the statue. At first, nothing of notice occurred…then the two noticed a spreading crack along the surface.

"Nice." Lei smiled. James blinked.

"Yeah, but he didn't break it like I expected…"

"I'm getting to that." Shin smiled. Taking a few steps back, he stood next to a large tree in the park across a sidewalk. Raising his hand, he adopted an unusual pose: two fingers extended and thumb raised like a gun.

"…Huh?" James didn't want to believe it; a rei gun pose. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Mister Hikawa…that's a bit unoriginal, isn't it?"

"Just watch!" He called to them. They watched all right, as he grit his teeth. A bead of sweat rolled down his forehead as the ground began to quake at his feet. Stones rose around him, floating as if the laws of gravity no longer applied. Then, it stopped in an instant…

And a translucent black ball hovered at his fingertips.

Shin smiled, suddenly pointing his fingers at James and Lei!

"_ACK! WHAT'S HE DOING!"_ James screamed.

"I believe he's about to fire on us…" Lei said tonelessly, reaching in the slit of her dress for something. Shin smiled. His lips moved to form two words.

"_Gravity Shoot!"_

Jerking upwards, there was a low, gunshot-like bang as the ball fired with the force of a bullet. It arced between the two, flying upwards in a 85 degree angle…

And smashed into a speeding car to their left. The car crumpled, slowing to a halt behind them as police sirens came wailing from down the road.

"…He just _barely_ kept it from being another team's opening…" James spoke out of character for a second. "…So, uh, when the hell did you learn that?"

"About…" Shin thought about that. "A week ago."

"A _week_ _ago_?" James jaw dropped. Lei cleared her throat as the police sirens grew louder.

"Gentlemen…I don't think it is wise to remain here after that little stunt." She said. "The authorities would probably want to know how that car became a sardine can…"

"Uh…yeah. So, um, where do we sign up for the King of Fighters? After seeing that, I can't help but want to enter!" James smiled.

Shin grinned. "Well…if you'll just follow me to the subway station, its only a thirty minute ride…"

Chizuru Kagura sat at a desk, fingers folded in front of her face as a temple throbbed in her head. The last few hours led to the appearance of a few newbie teams she refused to let enter the tournament, along with a few she had to, pardon the slang,_ 'smack down'._

_Stupid,_ she thought, checking her nice watch. Five thirty eastern. "Time to go, then..." She sighed, stretching. Standing up, she began to pack up...before three teenagers came charging in the room.

"Miss Kagura!" Shin shouted. "Please, don't leave! One more team would like to enter the tournament!" Chizuru sighed. 'Not again...' She said, already feeling a headache coming.

"Sorry, but you missed the deadline. And besides, you all look like school children," She added. "You would be putting yourselves in dange-"

"The High school girls team, consisting of Athena, Hinako, and Malin, are all still in school, but you let them enter." Shin said boastfully, showing his knowledge of the entrants. "So what's the real excuse?"

"Too many losers, huh? Your bio suggests that your annoyed with all the idiot teams who enter each year." Lei muttered. Chizuru sighed.

"Alright. What're your names, what do you do, and why shouldn't I smash you into the ground."

"Shin Hikawa, Control of Gravity, and I know far too much about you to let you." Shin grinned.

"James Bryant, Massive strength, and...Um...because it seems against your sophisticated manner?" James shrugged.

"Aiko Lei, knowledge of all martial arts and use of acupuncture needles, and I refuse to let you attempt to do such a thing without a fight." Lei spoke in a serious, dangerous tone. Chizuru, already too tired to argue, drew a small pad of paper, scribbling this information down.

"You'll all be sent plane tickets to go to the KOF meeting grounds. There, you will be told your first matches and issued all information that will be needed. Any questions?"

"One."

"And that is."

"Where are you, really? Do you think you can fool me? This is obviously your mirror form." Shin smiled, folding his arms. "Only a true KoF fan knows the difference between a mirror copy and the real, beautiful Chizuru Kagura." His teammates gave him a confused look as the woman put on a quick startled look, which quickly melted away.

"Interesting." She smiled. "I wouldn't really be able to appear in every country in the world, would I?" She ran her hands through her hair...and slowly began to shimmer out of existence. "I will be looking forward to your entrance. Farewell children." She said, disappearing completely. James looked his friend over.

"How...did you know it was a mirror form?"

"I didn't. But I always wanted to say that." Shin grinned. "Good guess, huh?" He smiled. Picking up the pad of paper, he drew three plane tickets from the pad. "So...the plane flies off this Friday. You'll all be there, right?"

"Hmph." Lei took a ticket. "Of course. You know my reason for entering with you better than anyone else." She waved, turned on her heel towards the door. "Ciao."

"Her _reason_?" James blinked. "Aw, whatever. I'm in." He said, snatching a ticket. "See you Friday, Shin. Don't let this tournament disappoint me, dude." He waved as well, leaving Shin behind in the room.

"Heh heh...ha ha ha!" Shin laughed. "I don't believe it..._I'M IN!_ This is a dream come true!" He grinned, looking over the KoF symbol emblazed on the ticket. "Now...er...how to explain this to my parents..." He thought, scratching his cheek. Little did he know that, as per usual of KoF, something terrible was brewing...


	2. The first match is!

**The King of Fighters 2003  
Chapter Two:**  
"_The first match is...!"_

_Airport, New York.  
7:30 A.M._

James yawned, stretching. Morning was not his best time of day, especially at around 7:30. Anything earlier that 1:00 P.M. was excessively early for his liking and even then...

"I see you're early." James looked over his shoulder at the sound of Lei's voice. "I supposed our 'fearless' leader hasn't arrived yet..."

"Nooooooope." James spoke mid-yawn. "I can't believe I agreed to do this...he never said I'd have to sit in a cold-as-hell airport at this time of morning..." He didn't realize Lei was ignoring him, however. Heck, he did not notice she was gone until he looked up. "Hey..."

"You're kind of slow to pick up on things, huh." She spoke, startling James, as she seemed to suddenly appear to his left. In her hand was a small paper bag that she dug French fries out of. "Sorry, none for you." She said quickly, seeing where his eyes went.

"Oh come on," James folded his arms. "You can't be serious...burgers at _this _time of morning? Not only is it bad for your breath, but it'll pack pounds on your delicate frame." James added sarcastically, assuming the girl was one of the stereotypical 'I hate my body' people.

She shrugged however. "No burgers. I'm a vegetarian." She said, placing another French fry in her mouth.

"Really? Then what did you get?"

"Just French fries. I love potatoes." She shrugged again, reaching back in the bag. "And a starchy diet gives plenty of energy for the day." She added, far to aware of his sleepy state.

"...Riiiight." He yawned, digging his cell phone out of his pocket to check the time. 7:41. "Where is Shin? The plane leaves in an hour or so..."

"Hour in a half."

"...How did you know that without checking the time?"

"I have an _excellent_ sense of time, Mister Bryant." Lei said without dwelling on the statement. "Any other questions I can shoot down?"

"Okay, missy. How come you don't speak like a Japanese person?"

"You mean with _–Chan _and all that?"

"Yeah."

"Because it's a waste of time in America," She said in her careless tone. "Now stop talking; it's not making time pass any faster."

James mumbled under his breath. "Arrogant little..." He yawned before he could finish that statement. "I wonder what's keeping him so long..." He squinted forward, scratching his cheek. For a second, he had sworn he saw someone coming...

He was right, of course. Lugging two large duffel bags as he walked across the well-waxed floor of the airport, Shin Hikawa gave a large smile at his two teammates as he dropped in a seat across from them. "Yo. Any idea what time it is?" Shin smiled. "I figured I'd be the first one here."

"You figured wrong, mister Hikawa." Lei muttered, finishing the last of her French fries. "With an event such as this, being early should be required. At least, for the leader, anyway."

"Right, right, I deserve that." He smiled. "But seriously, I had my own problems getting here. I had to nearly pry my mom off me after I told her what I was doing." He shuddered, as did James. Shin's American mother, a fashion designer of sorts, was against all kinds of violence. How he managed to convince her to let him go was a wonder beyond both of their knowledge.

Lei was less than impressed. "Frankly, I don't care. I just want to hurry up and get there." The girl stretched. "I want to know who our first opponents are."

"I wonder who they'll put us up against first, anyway." James thought.

"Maybe the women's team." Shin grinned at the thought. He had no intention on fighting _them; _just the thought of seeing Mai Shiranui in person gave him Goosebumps.

"Of course you'd think that...pervert..." Lei grumbled. "We have ten minutes. Perhaps we should get to the plane." She suggested, standing up.

"How does she know that?" Shin asked, never seeing the girl look up.

"_Excuse me. Passengers to flight 145 should please begin to board the plane. Thank you."_

"..." Shin blinked as Lei walked towards the loading hall. "She's _good_." James nodded. "So…maybe we should follow her?"

"Yeeeeeeeeeep." He yawned, as the two stepped towards the loading hall as well.

* * *

Planes. 

If there was anything K' hated, it was planes.

Oh, it wasn't the idea of the plane crashing from who-knows-however-many feet off the ground, a sure sign of death. It wasn't the idea of the plane bursting into flames and killing them all. No, it wasn't anything dangerous at all; heck, he could handle even a terrorist attack! The thing he hated…

…Were passengers who wouldn't shut up. Babies, children, grown adults…it was irritating, that was for sure. Nevertheless, of course, they were civilians. He couldn't do anything _violent_ to stop them. Of course, this didn't stop him from thinking about it…or the occasional swearing spree.

At the current moment, it was a kid kicking the back of his seat. Thump, thump, thump. Again and again and _again!_ "Where the hell is that kid's mother…" He mumbled under his breath, flexing his red gloved hand. A small spark should scare him into being good for this trip. Of course, the real problem was if he could _just_ make a spark and not a full fledged trigger…

"Don't even think about it, K'." The large man sitting to his left spoke. Maxima, the 'cyborg' with enough strength to use a sky scraper as a baseball bat. Of course, he was also known as the man with the _ridiculous_ sideburns. K' (which, for you non-KOF fans, is pronounced Kay Dash) grumbled in his seat as the kid kicked again.

"Just a little spark?"

"Can you _make_ just a little spark?"

"…Probably not."

"Then lets not practice on that _sweet_ child."

"Pah. Sweet…"

"You two are on the verge of drawing unnecessary attention to us…" The woman to K's right whispered. Although you wouldn't be able to tell it from what she was wearing, the woman was of some sort of military rank. Of course, the 'purse' at her waist concealed a weapon that would have given her away on sight: a long, blue bull-whip.

"…Hmph." K' sat silently in his seat. "Nice outfit, by the way. Probably matches Mexico just fine…"

"Thank you," Whip said, smiling. A genuine smile, one that rarely crossed her face. Of course, if you saw the outfit she dreamed up as a disguise, you'd probably smile as well. Shorts, a tank top, and sandals. In the weather they were going to, this was fine. But in the current place…

"…I _did_ mention we're in New York, right?"

"Yep."

"I also mentioned its freezing, right? Too cold to snow?"

"Uh-huh."

"I didn't forget to tell you that you're probably drawing more attention than either of us right now, right?"

"Numerous times," Whip nodded. "But I think it's…cute." She said hesitantly. K' snorted, removing his red sunshades and looking up at the plane ceiling.

"So we're forced into the KOF once again this year, huh?" he grumbled.

"Its not too bad." Maxima shrugged.

"And _why_ do you say that?"

"At least we're not bored. And no one has asked for your autograph yet…"

"_OH MY GOD!"_ The three of them cringed. Maxima had a habit of speaking too soon…

* * *

Shin stepped through the plane door, a single bag in his hand now. He had thought this plane ride would be a boring one, a trip that he would likely sleep through and probably not even remember. Then he remembered what his ticket had said. 

"…First Class…" He thought, looking around. Yeah, it was pretty snazzy, that was sure. But it still wasn't enough to stall his sleep filled schedule. Then, he saw who occupied the third row seat. "_OH MY GOD!"_

"Shin, don't do that." James poked his friend in the back. "You're embarrassing me." Shin didn't respond: instead, he shook with glee and excitement. "Um…Shin?"

"Th-that's…" He pointed at the man who sat many feet away from him, a man in black motorcycle clothes who donned a single red glove. "That's_ K'! K',_ James_!"_ Shin squealed like a teenaged school girl.

"Kay Dash?" James asked. "His whole name is Kay Dash?"

"Err…its just his first name. I don't think he _has_ a last name…" Shin scratched his cheek. "Its like K apostrophe."

"Honestly, who names their kid K'?"

"Would you two sit down!" Lei shouted from her seat, exactly two rows away from K' and his team. "You're holding up the plane!" She added. The two hurried to their seats, James to her right and Shin to her left…exactly on the aisle.

"I can't believe we got the same plane as K'." He grinned. "I mean, this is- _OH GOOD GRACIOUS!"_ He shouted again, pointing at the door as more people stepped on the plane. "Look!"

"Hm?" James looked to the door. A man in a brown bomber jacket stepped on board, sitting next to another in red shorts ("Honestly, are these people _insane_? _It's FREEZING_!" James thought). He gave him a hi-five before beginning to talk to him

"Uh…so who is he, Mister fan boy?"

"Te-Terry Boggard!"

"… Right, I'm not asking any questions." James muttered. He leaned back in his seat. "Just try to keep your fan boy-ism to yourself, m'kay?"

"Right." Shin saluted, knowing full well that he couldn't. James closed his eyes, immediately falling asleep.

Lei, however, gave an embarrassed sigh. "I don't believe these two…" She muttered, stretching. Somehow, she knew it was going to be a _long _trip to Mexico. And a trip that could last hours with these two idiots was far off on her list of things to do.

-A FEW HOURS LATER-

"Mister K'! Can I have your autograph?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"…Can I take a picture, then?"

"No."

"Huh? Why no-"

"I said no!"

Shin sighed, slipping his camera back in his jacket pocket. He should have figured the man would say no; K' seemed to have a permanent unhappiness about him. Of course, the fact he hated KOF's may have also been a factor, but Shin doubted that. Quickly, he rushed over to Terry and his infamous teammate, Joe.

"Hey! You're the fatal fury team! Can I have your autographs?" Shin grinned. Terry and Joe looked to each other, then shrugged.

"Sure, why not." Terry agreed as Shin handed him his pen. Shin looked around, then rubbed his chin.

"And hey, you can you two answer a question for me?"

"…Uh…"

"Where's Andy?"

"Oh, what, we're not good enough without Andy?" Terry asked. Shin gulped, seeing he offended the man.

"I-I didn't say that…"

"Of course you didn't. Just kidding…" Terry's face quickly turned back to his trademark, laid-back appearance. Shin gave a mental sigh: he'd hate to be at the end of one of Terry's supers by offending him.

Lei, however, couldn't take much more of this. With a snap of her wrist, she dragged Shin back to his seat in a single, whip-like motion. "H-Hey!"

"Sit down and be quiet." She hissed. "I don't need to hear your voice every minute. Got it?" Shin gulped, nodding. The girl smiled. "Good. Now, we switched planes in California, so Mexico should be coming up any minute."

"Y- yes ma'am." Shin nodded, knowing he'd have to keep his fan-hood to himself for another thirty minutes. He gave a pleading look at Lei, who immediately rapped him on his skull. "Ow."

"I said no. Now entertain yourself and leave everyone else alone."

"Do what the girl says!" Shin could hear K's voice. He sank into his seat.

"Why is everyone against me…" He grumbled.

"ZZZZZZZNORT." Was the response that the snoring James gave him.

"Oh shut up you…"

"_Passengers, We're entering Mexico Airline. Please buckle up and brace yourselves for impact, I mean, landing."_

"…That flight attendant just said impact…" Maxima said.

"Yep." K' agreed.

"Impact… You think that's gonna hurt?" Joe asked Terry.

"Don't know. We'll find out." Terry shrugged, casual as ever.

"…Lei…" Shin whispered. "I'm scared."

"Shut up." She hissed.

"Yes ma'am."

_Thump. Thump. Thumpitythumpthump! SCREEEEEECH! BANG!….Shhhhhh_.

"_Passengers, please exit from the planes front. If you have any carry on luggage, be sure to take it with you as you leave. Thank you for flying, have a nice day."_

"Well…that was painless." Lei stretched.

"Yeah…I thought we were going to catch fire…"

"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZOOOORRRRRRRRTTTTTTTT!"

The two looked to each other, then back to the heavily snoring James. They kicked him in the chest at about the same time, making both his eyes shoot open and his body to bounce out the seat. "Ouch." He rubbed his chest. "We're here? Mexico? Where are all the fine girls at?" He asked rapid fire, looking around.

"…Lets go James. I'm sure they're all waiting outside for us." Shin smiled. James hopped to his feet, eagerly following Shin out the plane. Lei sweat dropped. "Why, of all the people in the world, did I select these two?" She thought.

* * *

Okay, so there were no 'fine girls' as James so kindly put it. None available, that is. 

"Oh! She's cute!"

"She's also in the KOF."

"…Is there a single girl here who isn't?" James sighed. Shin looked around, then pointed.

"That lady." He smiled, pointing to a hunchbacked yeti of a woman. James shuddered, glaring at Shin. "Just…no…" He said coldly.

"Uh-huh…" Shin looked around every where. "So, uh… where is it supposed to say who the match ups are?" Lei pointed over his shoulder to a large poster on the wall in front of him:

"King of Fighters Match-up announcements. Live at noon." The English version read. He coughed to himself. "I knew that…" Shin muttered. "So…Mexico is how many hours ahead-slash-behind New York?" He asked. James shrugged while the other member calculated.

"About three hours, give or take." Lei suggested. "The time _now_ should be around-"

"Eleven forty-nine." James pointed to a clock. "And we're gonna have to leave now if we want to get there in time!"

"Err…but to where?"

"Eh?"

"Where are we going?" Shin asked. "I mean… It doesn't say anywhere." Lei pointed again at the poster, but her finger dropped. "Um…can either of you read Spanish?" She asked, pointing to the words "¡El Plaza Cinco!"

"…You're not serious, are you?"

"That's dirt simple Spanish there…"

"What does it _say_, then?"

"Town Square Five…" James sighed. "And besides…the signs are in Spanish Why do we need to know what they mean?"

"…Town Square five. That's an interesting name. It looks so familiar." Shin thought. Turning around, he saw why. "Uh…that's across the street outside." Lei leaned around him, noticing the sign that pointed to a park-like area. With a shrug, she walked past them, leaving a disappointed James.

"…I hate you Shin."

"Why?"

"Now I can't play the manly hero in front of Lei!" James jabbed his finger into his chest. "I was hoping to win back some of my respect with some reckless driving and dramatic camera angles…and then we get there in the last minute…"

"…You have _way_ too much free time on your hands to think something like that up." Shin pat the bigger male on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's see who we're up against first." Grinned Shin. Stepping outside, they quickly met up with Lei who was listening to a man speak random gibberish into a microphone. Something along the lines of "AKSAHKSHDFIAHGDSAHAGHIANSDH!"

James and Lei watched intently as he pointed to a large board, various teams in bold. "ASKSHDFISK! And this will tell you who you will be fighting while in Mexico! Any questions?"

"Yeah! What the hell did you just say?" A random voice shouted. The man ignored him, pointing to the board.

"Now! Line up and take a look!"

"Did you hear that? Line up," Shin ordered, but wasn't even paying attention to his own command: he was too buzy looking through the crowd of new people to find someone famous. He was quickly grabbed by both arms. "He-Hey! Let me go, lemmigo!"

"You're coming too, 'leader'!" James and Lei shouted, dragging a kicking and screaming Shin. Stopping in front of the board, they quickly found their team name (which was taped onto a piece of cardboard on the bottom). "Now…who're we fighting…" Shin trailed his finger across. He stopped on the other side, smiling. "Wow…the first match is…"

"…Korea…" His teammates finished.

"Yeah. You know, its not too late to back out…"

"Oh shut up! You're not afraid now, are you?" James asked.

"Hmph. Some 'fearless' leader." Lei folded her arms.

"No, no, its not that I'm afraid or anything." Shin waved his hands in a 'calm down' manner. He cleared his throat, facing the two. "Its just…not what we're here, we have to be sure we want to fight. Anyone with doubts should go home now, right?"

"Right!" They nodded.

"Then if you'll excuse me, I have to squeeze through the crow-ACK!" Both of them grabbed Shin by the arms. He sighed, seeing they weren't going to let them escape. "I _did_ bring them here, after all…" He happened to remember. "Fine. Let me go, sheesh." He snatched himself out of their grasp. Clearing his throat, he turned to the crowd with a wide grin.

"HEY! YOU GUYS!" Shin shouted. "YOU ALL MIGHT AS WELL GO HOME IF YOU'RE NERVOUS! BESIDES, TEAM _HIKAWA_ WILL BE THE KING OF FIGHTERS THIS YEAR!"

"Idiot." Lei slapped her forehead. James nodded in agreement with the girl as Shin continued.

"WE'RE GOING TO WIN! AND WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT? LOSE! THAT'S WHAT! HAHAHAH!"

* * *

DEEP in the crowd (I'm talking WAY in the middle here), a young man in all red giggled. "Ah hah hah ha. You know, they reminds me of someone." Ash Crimson grinned. "What do you guys think?" 

"Yeah. He's a lot like you." Duo Lon stated, pointing a single long finger at Shin. "Actually, it's almost far too much of a match, personality-wise." He added with one of his rare smiles.

"Yeah…the chick reminds me of Duo Lon here…" Shen Woo grinned. "In fact, you two even look alike!" He added, laughing. "What, is she like a desperate fan or something?"

"And that boy there…" Ash jerked his thumb at James. "He must be the Shen copy, then. Granted, he's better in the fashion department! Hah!" Ash stuck his tongue out in a child-like manner. "I guess they must be the copy Hero team then, eh boys?"

"Must be." They agreed.

"Exactly! The copy us!" Ash clapped his hands together. "It looks like this KOF has already gotten interesting." He grinned. On stage, all three of the Hikawa team let loose a very loud sneeze. "Though I'm sure right now they've made a lot of enemies. Good thing that kid got on stage before I did."

"…You weren't planning _that_ were you?" Duo Lon asked. Ash smiled, curling his painted finger around his lengthy sliver hair.

"Maaaaybe. Maaaybe not. We'll never know, now will we?"

"…Ash, if you had done that, I swear…" Shen shook his head. "At least you didn't decide to show off your powers again."

"Err…" Ash smiled. "Right. Now why would you say _again_ like that?"

"Once in Shanghai…once in the airport…once on the plane…once off the plane…" Duo Lon counted off on his fingers.

Ash coughed. "LOOK AT THAT! WOW, IT'S AMAZING!" He shouted. As soon as they turned, he hurled the mass of green flames he had built up in his right hand. "Whew…"

"…You're so dead…"

* * *

"Idiot! Why did you say that! Every one is going to hate us!" Lei shouted. Shin only grinned…until a green flame struck his jacket. 

"….THEY'RE ATTACKING! Gravity-" Before he could finish, the two grabbed him and ran off the stage area. James and Lei sighed as they carried their kicking teammate; It couldn't get any worse than this.

"How did we wind up with him?" They thought.


	3. Match One: Hikawa vs Korea

**The King of Fighters 2003  
Match One:**  
_Hikawa vs Korea!_

_Mexico, Outside Incan Ruins.  
10:36 A.M._

Shin Hikawa was grinning from ear to ear.

Sure, it was really hot, and it didn't help he was wearing all black. Sure, the wind kept messing up his hair. Sure, they stood outside an Incan ruin, which was sure to be paid for with the prize money from this tournament. And sure, his teammates were holding him by the shoulders to make sure he didn't run, not like he was thinking about doing that. However, the grin came from two things: One, the cheers of the fans, though they probably weren't for his team. Two, he was standing across from the Korean Team: Kim, Chang, and Jhun. For the typical King of Fighters participant, this wasn't exciting. Of course…

...Shin was a KoF Fan boy, far from your typical participant. "This is so cool!" He nearly screamed like a girl at a boy band concert. "We're about to fight in the KoF! Against a real team, not a bunch of nobodies like us! This is such an hon-"

"Shin! Shut up, you're embarrassing me!" James smacked him in the back of the head. Unlike his sweating 'team leader', he was smart enough to wear just a white tee and jeans. He focused a single green eye on the Koreans, who seemed to be huddled and discussing a strategy. "So, fan boy…what do you know about these three?"

"Kim is probably leader, as usual. Chang uses that huge steel ball you see as a weapon, so try not to let it hit you. I'm a little surprised, though…usually he has Choi with him," Shin rattled off from memory. "Jhun has pretty much mastered the stances of their style."

"And what style is that?"

"All of them use Tae-Kwon-Do," Shin responded. Lei gave an 'hmph' of the unimpressed sort.

"Tae-Kwon-Do, huh?" She smiled. "Well, that means not too expect much by way of punches. Watch their legs, boys." She added.

"The two, Kim and Jhun, they don't get along as well a teammates should. They'll probably jump in to show each other up, so be prepared." Shin finished. "Anything else?"

"Not a thing," James cracked his knuckles. "I'll go-"

"I'm first." Lei cut him off. "After all, they'll probably send in the giant first. And you, mister Bryant, are far too slow to not take damage." She stuck her tongue out at him as she walked forward.

"But what if they send in someone else?" He called.

_BANG!_

"Never mind…" James muttered, as the wrecking ball slammed into the soft grass at their feet. The two boys did a quick size match up: While Lei _was_ faster than the both of them by, well, a lot…Chang was huge.

"On the off-chance that he hits her with that thing…" James asked.

"He'll break her in half." Shin answered.

"…Thanks for the reassurance." James rolled his eyes.

"No problem." Obviously Shin missed the sarcasm. The boy then cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey Lei! Remember, these are tag-team matches! If you need us, just shout."

"Thanks for the offer, but I wont need it against the big boy here," She shouted back. Drawing the needles from her hair, it cascaded down as she adopted her fighting stance. "According to the bio, he's a little over two hundred pounds. A perfect target." She smiled.

Chang, however, was a bit surprised that they'd send the smallest team member first. Surprised and worried. "Master Kim…" he turned to his team leader, who flashed his million-point smile.

"_Justice_, Chang. Strength without justice is just violence. Remember that." Kim stated wisely.

"But…she's so small. I might…um…break her." He said, lifting the steel ball. Jhun, however, made a suggestion.

"You break her, we go on. Just make sure its not permanent." Jhun then smiled. "Besides, I'm in a hurry. These tickets are burning a hole in my pocket." He said, drawing a few tickets from his pocket: "_Athena in Concert! Live at Mexico stadium!_"

"…"

"…"

"What? Like you wouldn't want to see Athena! Don't give me that look!" Jhun shouted in his defense. "Just hurry up with the match, alright?"

"Yes Master Jhun!" Chang saluted, turning back to face Lei, who was reapplying her make-up in a small, compact mirror.

"I suppose you're ready now, huh?" Lei closed the mirror, tossing it to Shin. "Well, _Ikuze!_ Lets go!" She shouted, as the announcer grabbed the microphone.

"King of Fighters Round One, Hikawa versus Korea!" A small Mexican man shouted into a microphone. "Hikawa, ready?"

"Ready!" Shin shouted.

"Korea, ready?"

"Ready!" Kim shouted as Chang gave a battle cry.

"Mariachi band, ready?" He asked, looking to various band members who gave him a thumb up. "Then…_FIGHT!" _Chang began to swing the big heavy steel ball, but stopped. Looking around, he found that the girl had disappeared.

"Wow…she's fast…"

"_Orusu da ze! Garaaki da ze!_" A knee smashed into Chang's chin, making him stagger backwards. Now, Chang was by no means a small man; quite the contrary, he stood at least six and a half feet. Lei, on the other hand, was about five two. All and all, it was quite a leap.

However, she wasn't finished. Grabbing his shoulders, she flipped around him, slamming her heels into the back of his legs. "Ouch," both James and Shin winced as the girl landed. Her brow wrinkled: the kick would have brought any _normal_ person to their legs. Unfortunately, Chang wasn't normal; he was a KoF participant, after all.

"Well, he's sturdy," She smiled, adapting back into her stance.

Chang continued to swing the steel ball. "Not bad yourself. You're pretty quick…" his voice boomed. Tossing the ball, with an unnaturally fast speed, Lei managed to barely duck under it as it smashed into the ground behind her. "Now, just hold still please."

"No. Nice try, though." She said, but immediately wished she hadn't responded: Chang was in the air, swinging the ball like a helicopter propeller. Frozen from the sheer bizarreness of the sight, she snapped back to attention the minute one of his feet smashed into her forehead. "…Ow…"

"Just ow? I'd be on my butt after an attack like that…" Shin said, amazed she was still standing straight.

Lei, however, gripped her needles. "_Itai daro ga yo!"_ She shouted, stabbing him with the weapons. Chang leapt back, pulling the needles out of his legs…

…Or tried to. Many more needles stuck into him. Staggering backwards, Chang began to feel his body freeze up. "Huh? I can't move!"

"Of course not!" Lei smiled. "Look at where the needles are. Each one struck a nerve, giant." She stuck her tongue out. "You're a giant, fleshy punching bag now. James!" She called fiercely, snapping her fingers. Chang watched the high school football player / boxer / wrestler hopped over the small Japanese girl with a sense of dread: "This is going to hurt," he thought feebly…

"Get lost! James Bryant special haymaker: Dynamite Punch!"

Saying Chang was tossed back is an understatement. Words fail this author, though comparing it to a missile launch is close enough. The paralyzed giant flew just over Kim and Jhun's head, landing with a loud, yet oddly pleasant bang. The two looked back: he landed in a pile of pillows being carried by moving people. Moving people who were crushed under him, but the pillows _were_ convenient.

"Hey Chang! If you're okay, give a thumbs up." Jhun called.

"I'm okay!"

"Well, he's not okay." Jhun deduced. "I distinctly told him to give a thumbs up. CHANG IS DOWN!" The crowd couldn't have been happier, as they exploded in a roar of cheers that nearly deafened the amateur Hikawa team.

"Hah! That's right, cheer for me!" James shouted, motioning the crowd to get louder. During this bout of showboating, however, he didn't see Kim run at him…or jump…or come within a foot of him…

"ACK! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOOOOWWWWWWW!" James screamed as Kim kicked him numerous times while remaining airborne. Kim landed, and then followed his rain of kicks with a sweep that knocked the high schooler off his feet. Rolling, he just missed being slammed into the ground he once laid on as the foot crushed the soft dirt at his feet.

"Darn. I missed…." Kim pulled his leg out of the ground as James hopped to his feet. Popping his neck, he gave Kim a fierce stare.

"I don't know _how_ you did that…but it hurt." He growled. "Time to put you down, tiny!" He shouted, charging like a bull. Kim leapt aside, but was caught in the ribs as James wheeled around, being dragged like a pillow. Both teams watched as James pushed Kim up the clay stairs of the ruin behind them, then rushed after as they went.

"The heck does he think he's doing?" Lei asked as they ran after him.

"I don't know…looks like he's going to try and throw Kim off this thing." Shin shrugged.

"Good luck to him then…" They heard Jhun say as he shot past them. They looked to each other, and then back to Jhun…then it clicked.

_Meanwhile_, Kim was kneeing James rapidly in the chest as he was being pushed. Everything around them was moving in a blur because he was pushing so fast. Kim wanted down, that was certain, before he was tossed off the ruin.

That is, until he saw a blue and white blur shoot past them. Kim immediately ducked his head and pushed, unlatching him from James as a kick hard enough to stop a bus slammed him in the stomach. James' eyes watered as both Kim and his rescuer Jhun gave a silent "oops."

Jhun didn't hit James in the stomach. And now he was doubled over in a pain only men would know. Eyes rolling into his head, he tumbled down the clay stairs and past both Shin and Lei. They made a quick about face, leaping to catch the boy as he fell…

Now, James is about six foot and two hundred pounds. Catching _that_ as it went at least sixty miles per hour down a slope is no easy task. They quickly found this out as they tumbled with him, landing with a crash on the ground. The crowd's insane cheers grew louder on this crash: clearly there were all fans of team Korea.

"…Ow…" Shin pushed James off him. Pointing up at the two Koreans, who were playing rock-paper-scissors to determine whose turn it was, he quickly formed a very large ball of gravity. "SEND MY TEAMMATE BACK AT ME LIKE A MISSILE, WILL YA! GRAVITY SHOOT!"

The shot flew very quickly, given its size. It was Jhun who noticed the ball; leaping out the way, it quickly exploded and sent his teammate flying skyward. "Phew…" He wiped his forehead, blissfully unaware of the now plummeting Kim, who sank into the dirt next to Shin. The boy ran his fingers through his hair, then pointed again.

"Mister Jhun Hoon! I hope you don't take this personally!" He shouted, as another ball formed. He immediately wished he had shot instead of warned him: Jhun flew down at him at an alarming rate, slamming his feet into his chest.

"Ooooofffff…" He felt the wind rush out of his body, but grinned. Clasping both hands around the man's legs, he swung him around, tossing him away like a baseball. Aiming, he let loose a torrent of Gravity Shots, each one just whizzing by Jhun.

"Darn it…" Jhun pushed himself, sending his body back at Shin with his legs outstretched. Shin was more than ready, however. Ducking and weaving as the kicks flew over his head, he gave a swift uppercut to Jhun's back as it flew overhead. Jhun managed a quick recovery roll…and landed in a very awkward position.

"...Standing on one leg?"

"Yes. I'm standing on one leg," Jhun comfirmed. Shin scratched his head as Jhun swung his upper leg. Shin was still confused...until he felt something warm run down his cheek. Bringing up his hand to check, a sticky red liquid was on his hand.

"...You cut me! From all the way over there!" Shin exclaimed. Grinning, he added. "MAN that's so cool! I got a cut from Jhun Hoon! I can take pictures and send it to my friends – WAIT! It might scar! That would be sweet!"

"…" Jhun was speechless. If any of their teammates were consious (or not pinned under their heavy teammates, like Lei), they would have been shocked too. This was proof that, without a doubt, Shin was an idiot. "You're kinda not bright, you know." Jhun said what was on his mind.

"Not bright like a fox!" Shin shouted, pointing both hands. Cupping one over the other, he charged the _biggest_ gravity ball Jhun had ever seen. "Now…I have places to go, autographs to collect. So try to stay still, 'kay?"

"I have places to go to, you know!" Jhun shouted. "Athena is in concert in two hours! I cant waste any more on you!"

Shin smiled. "Right. Gravity Shoot!" The ball shot forward like a cannon, but Jhun was ready. Swinging his leg, the ball was split in two watermellon sized halves, each crashing to his side. Jhun grinned, but it faded immediately. Shin had another, bigger ball ready.

"Shoot!" He fired. Jhun made a means to back flip over it, just barely skimming the surface as it passed. The ball rolled up the ruin behind him, shooting straight into the sky before dissolving. Landing, he breathed a sigh of relief; that was too big for even Shin. It'd be a while before he could charge another, Jhun thought.

He thought wrong.

"TRIPLEX!" The sound of a third gunshot. Jhun would have slapped himself.

"You used a Super DM!"

_WOOSH!

* * *

_

Jhun, Kim, and Chang all opened their eyes at once. Shin, Lei, and James stood over them, grins on their faces.

"…We lost, didn't we?" Chang asked.

"Yep."

"…Oh man! How much time has passed!" Jhun asked, bolting straight upwards. The two males on team Hikawa looked to Lei, who cleared her throat.

"An hour and five minutes. You can still go to your silly concert," She stated. His eyes lit up as he began to sprint, but was yanked back to the ground by Lei. "Not yet, though."

"Why not? It's gonna _start!_" He squeeled.

"I just need you to do one thing for us," Shin smiled. "You see…we're technically in the KoF on, err, field trip, if you will. I need you to-"

"Anything! Just not the face." Jhun cringed.

"-Sign this autograph book." Shin smiled. "You two as well, if you don't mind. Help a school boy- slash- fan out, please." He grinned. In seconds, each of them scribbled on the pad, then were wisked away by a rampaging Jhun.

"So…that's a win for us, huh?" James asked.

"Yep," Lei said. "Surprised the heck out of me…" They both noticed Shin begin to shake, though. "Um…"

"I GOT THEIR AUTOGRAPHS! I WON! MAN, THIS IS GREAT!" Shin roared. "Aaaand…we were on live T.V! I'm going to have fans!"

"And people saw me get kicked in the nuts…" James cringed.

"And…um…well, I did nothing embarassing." Lei said.

"WE ARE TEH WINNAR!"

"Except associate myself with this idiot…" She thought, slapping her forehead…

* * *

_Trinku sat at his computer, weeping. "**No reviews in days…" **he sniffled, looking at his monitor._

_BEEEP!  
_

"_**Could it be? Reviews!**" He squeeled. Reading them over, he hugged himself. "**They think I are cool!**" Then, he saw a single review. "**Gasp…its BURNOUT! MY INSPIRERER..RER…RER…**" Cracking his knuckles, he began to reply…_

"_**Burnout,**_

_**Yes, the story is kinda like yours, huh? That was both intentional and unintentional at the same time. You see… I was going to ask if you were going to do a 2k3…but realized 2k3 has new hero characters. You could think of this as the unofficial next year to your DHS saga ;;.**_

_**Sorry for the inconvience.**"_

_It was almost a touching moment…until the rest of Shadownet walked in the room._

"…_**The hell do you think you're doing?**" Jet Torasun asked._

"_**Trinku…I thought we were going out?**" Uriko sniffled._

"_**Why am I even IN an exe. story?**" Iori asked._


End file.
